San Francisco’s Human Rights Commission demands a NY Post apology

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San Francisco’s Human Rights Commission has gone after the New York Post for its coverage in the International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Khan scandal in New York City. The Post wrote an article about the possibility of the accuser having HIV or AIDS.

In a letter to the New York Post Editor dated May 19, the HRC writes that it “is condemning and calling into question” the story, and says it “represents a violation of her human rights.”

The HRC demands the NY Post apologizes for the news article titled “Hotel Maid in HIV Shock.” That was the headline on the cover the NY Post’s Wednesday edition.

“This kind of coverage perpetuates HIV stigma and may discourage other people from coming forward with charges of sexual assault,” the letter said.

Theresa Sparks, HRC director, is quoted in the letter: “This ‘yellow journalism’ … continues to feed in to the stigma, discrimination and [human] rights violations that persons living with HIV/AIDS continue to endure 30 years into the epidemic.”

The letter states that the NY Post “demonizes” the woman and “calls on the New York Post to retract this story.”